Page 11 of Ruthless Beast

“Yes. He called me.”

“Your name, please?”

“Emily Thornton.”

“Please, take a seat. I’ll tell him you’re here.”

I nod and move over to a row of seats against the wall.

“Thanks again for coming with me,” I say and squeeze Dannie’s hand.

“Hey, if you’re about to get busted for anything, I’m here to defend you.”

A few minutes later, a tall man with sandy hair and kind eyes walks toward us. He looks more like a surfer than a cop. He must rock undercover work. The cop looks straight at me. I wonder how he knows what I look like.

“Emily?”

“Yes. This is Daniella, my friend.”

“Hello. Please come with me.”

“What’s going on?” Dannie demands. “Is Emily in trouble?”

“I’ll explain in a minute.”

My stomach is in a knot, and my breathing is shallow at best as Dannie and I follow Detective Cox into the belly of the precinct. He stops outside a small room and gestures for Dannie and me to enter.

He starts talking once we’re all seated.

“I’m terribly sorry to tell you this, Emily, but your brother has been killed.”

Cox keeps talking, but I can no longer understand a word he’s saying. It’s white noise. Then, the darkness starts closing in from the corners of my eyes and gradually grows until all I see is a faint light. Then, nothing. Is that my voice? Am I screaming?

“Emily!”

I recognize Dannie’s voice. I feel her shaking me, so I open my eyes very slowly.

“What…where am I?”

“We’re at the police station, Ems,” she says softly.

She’s crying. I wonder why. Then it hits me.

“David!” I cry out.

“It’s okay, Ems. I’m here,” Dannie says, hugging me tightly.

“What happened?” I demand with a shaky voice from the cop.

“David was killed earlier this morning. Murdered. I’m very sorry, Emily,” he says.

“Murdered? Are you sure?” Dannie asks.

I’m unable to speak. All I can manage is to stare into space.

Murder! What is he talking about? Who would want to harm my brother?

“We’re sure. It was definitely a homicide.”

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